Method and apparatus for sharing point codes in a network

A communication system for transparently sharing a signaling point code between a circuit-based-switch and a packet-based-switch comprising:

• a circuit-based-switch with an assigned signaling point code, said circuit-based switch connected to a signaling transfer point (STP) in a signaling system number seven (SS7) switching network, wherein said circuit-based-switch routes traffic to local subscribers;
• a packet-based-switch in a packet based network;
• and
• a SS7 link between said circuit-based-switch and said packet-based-switch, wherein traffic originating within the packet-based-switch is routed using the SS7 link to said circuit-based-switch said packet-based-switch reusing said assigned signaling point code.

A system for use in a communication network for transparently sharing a signaling point code between a circuit-based-switch and a packet based switch comprising:

• a circuit-based-switch with local subscribers, said circuit-based-switch having an assigned first signaling point code;
• a packet-based-switch having an assigned second signaling point code said packet-based switch connected to a signaling transfer point;
• a SS7 signaling link between said circuit-based-switch and said packet-based switch;
• and
• means for routing traffic to said circuit-based-switch local subscribers from said packet-based switch so that the first signaling point code matches the second signaling point code.

A method to transparently migrate local subscribers and traffic from a circuit-based-switch in a public switched telephone network (PSTN) to a packet-based-switch said circuit-based-switch having an assigned first signaling point code (SPC) and connected to a signaling system number seven (SS7) network signaling transfer point (STP) via a first A-link pair said packet-based-switch reusing the same first SPC, said method comprising the steps of:

• creating own SPC in a first internal network of said packet-based-switch matching said first SPC and further creating one or more destination point code (DPC) matching PSTN addresses;
• creating a primary signaling point code (SPC) with an A-link-consolidator in a second internal network of said packet-based-switch to support SS7 signaling from said circuit-based-switch to the STP, further creating a secondary SPC in said second internal network to support a second A-link pair connection to said STP;
• creating routing and linksets in said second internal network of said packet-based switch to support SS7 routing from said circuit-based-switch to said STP and from said STP to said circuit-based-switch;
• blocking SS7 signaling on a first link of said first A-link pair and physically rerouting said first link of said first A-link pair from said circuit-based-switch connected to said STP to said packet based switch, said packet-based switch becoming a proxy STP for said circuit-based-switch, said packet-based switch reusing said first SPC;
• connecting said first link of said first A-link from said STP to said packet-based switch using new physical connections;
• unblocking SS7 signaling on said first link of said first A-link pair;
• blocking SS7 signaling on a second link of said first A-link pair and physically rerouting said second link of said first A-link pair from circuit-based-switch creating a connection to said packet based switch;
• connecting said second link of said first A-link from said STP to said packet based switch using new physical connections;
• and
• unblocking SS7 signaling on the second link of first A-link pair.